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v Patented Apr. 25, I899. 0. BARNISH, In.

w W um. FM o P M 0% A E 6% J E i W W m fl OLIVER BARNISH, JR, OF \VALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO OSCAR H. HUMPHREY, OF SAME PLACE.

STEERING-FORK FOR CYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,507, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed August 1, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER BARNIsH, Jr, of \Valtham, county'of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Steering-Forks for Cycles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isaspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of steering-forks for bicycles, whereby the parts thereof may be detachably yet firmly secured together and when assembled will not be unsightly.

In accordance with this invention a crown is provided having several holes through it, there being one hole at or near each end for the two fork-arms and one hole at the middle for the single supporting-arm of the fork, and each hole is formed or provided with one or more splineways which receive splines on the ends of the arms which enter said holes, and the ends of said arms which enter said holes are also each formed with a socket adapted to receive a screw-plug which is made or formed with a screw-threaded portion and with'a tapering or wedge like portion, the screwthreaded portion of the plug engaging interior screw-threads formed or provided within said socket and the tapering or wedge-like portion entering the socket and serving to expand the socketed end of the arm to thereby firmly secure the arm to the crown.

Figure 1 shows in vertical section a portion of a steering-fork for a cycle embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a plan View of the crown; Fig. 3, a side View of the upper end portion of one of the fork-arms; Fig. 4, a top view of the fork-arm shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a detail showing a bushing which may be used if desired, and Fig.6 a side view of one of the screwplugs which is employed as a means of expanding the socketed ends of the arms.

The crown o; is formed or provided with three holes through it, as a a a each hole having a flared portion 0. at its lower end and an annular projection a at its upper end, there being one hole at each end,as a a ,and one in the middle, as a The fork-arms'b b are provided,

Serial No. 687,392. (No model.)

each having in its upper end a socket b and on its exterior an annular collar b The sock= eted ends of said arms are adapted to enter the holes ct a in said crown. The lower I part of the interior of each socket b is provided with screw-threads b and the upper part b of the interior of each socket b is preferably made plain and somewhat tapering, as best shown in Fig. 1, and screw-plugs c are provided for the sockets, each having its lower part provided with an externally-screwthreaded portion 0, adapted to engage the screw-threaded portion of the socket, and having its upper part 0 made tapering or wedgelike to engage the tapering part of the socket. The socketed ends of the fork-arms will enter the holes a a in the crown a from beneath, and the screw-plugs c 0 will enter said holes at the opposite side of the crown and will also enter the sockets in the ends of the arms, and as said plugs are screwed into said sockets their tapering end portions will not only be brought into engagement with the tapering portions, but by pressure thereupon will expand the socketed ends of the arms to thereby firmly secure the arms to the crown, said socketed ends being split for the accomplishment of this result. The screw-plugs c c are formed with socketed ends in order that they may be turned in with an ordinary squareended wrench or key. Each of said holes a a a in the crown is also formed with" one or more splineways a, two being herein shown, and the socketed ends of the fork-arms Z2 Z1 are each formed or provided with splines 12 b which will enter said splineways to prevent displacement of said fork-arms.

: The supporting-arm d has its lower end socketed like unto the upper ends of the fork arms, and said socket is formed or provided with a screw-threaded portion d and with a tapering portion, and a screw-plug 0, like the screw-plu gs previously described,is provided, which enters said socket and operates to expand it. The socketed end of the supporting-arm is, however, contained in a bushing e, which is preferably formed or provided with splines e, which enter the splineways in the hole a in the crown; but said bushing may be omitted, if desired, and in such case the splines will be formed or provided on the socket end of the arm.

I claim 1. A steering-fork for bicycles, comprising a crown having holes therethrough, a steering-post and fork-arms the ends of which are seated in the holes in the crown, and each having a split socket in its end provided with a screw-threaded portion, and plugs each having a screw-threaded and aplain portion, said plugs adapted to enter the sockets in the steering-post and fork-arms, the plain portions thereof adapted to expand the sockets and impinge against the interior surface of the holes in the crown, and the screw-threaded portions to engage the screw-threaded portions of the sockets, substantially as described.

2. A steering-fork for bicycles, comprising a crown having holes therethrough, a steering-post and fork-arms the ends of which are seated in the holes in the crown, and each having a split socket in its end provided with a screw-threaded portion, and plugs each havingascrew-threaded and awedge-shaped portion, said plugs adapted to enter the sockets in the steering-post and fork-arms, the wedgeshaped portions thereof, adapted to expand the socket, and the screw-threaded portions to engage the, screw-threaded portions of the sockets, substantially as described.

3. A steering-fork for bicycles, comprising a crown having holes therethrough provided with splineways, a steering-post and forkarms the ends of which are seated in the holes in the crown, and each having splines on its exterior, and a split socket in its end pro vided with a screw-threaded portion, and plugs each having a screw-threaded and a plain portion, said plugs adapted to enter the sockets in the steering-post and fork-arms, the plain portions adapted to expand the sockets and impinge against the interior surface of the holes in the crown, and the screw-threaded portions to engage the screwthreaded portions of the sockets,substantially as described.

4. A steering-fork for bicycles, comprising a crown having holes therethrough flared outwardly at their lower ends, a steering-post and fork-arms the ends of which are split and adapted to be seated in the holes in the crown, and each having an annular collar on its exterior adapted to be seated in the flared portion of the holes in the crown, and a socket in its end provided with a screw-threaded portion, and plugs each having a screw-threaded and a plain portion, said plugs adapted to enter the sockets in the steering-post and forkarms, the plain portions thereof adapted to expand the sockets and impinge against the interior surface of the holes in the crown and the screw-threaded portions to engage the screw-threaded portions of the sockets, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two, subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER BA RNISH, JR.

Vitnesses:

B. J. NoYEs, JENNIE L. HUTCHINSON. 

